Intermittent-grip device.



G; B. JUDD.

INTERMITTENT GRIP DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT; 6. 1912.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

wi/tmeooao "HE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D C.

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INTERMITTENT-GRIP DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

Application filed September 6, 1812. Serial No. 718,975.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE E. JUDD, a citizenof the United States of America, residing at Glendale, in the county ofLos Ange les and State of California, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Intermittent-Grip Devices, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in intermittent grip devices andis thus embodied in an intermittent grip device wherein motion istransmitted from the piston to the driving shaft without the use of acrank.

In carrying out the present invention, it is my purpose to provide anintermittent grip device wherein-motion may be taken from both sides ofthe piston and imparted to a shaft to rotate the latter continuously andin one direction in the reciprocatory movement of the piston.

A further object of my invention is to provide an exceedingly simple,inexpensive and highly efficient intermittent grip device so that it maybe serviceable in many situations and which consists of cables adaptedto be operatively connected to the members to be reciprocated in amanner to provide for an even balance in the cables which are adapted toextend in opposite directions.

. WVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists inthe construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter setforth in and falling within the scope of the claim.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a side elevation of an engineconstructed in accordance with the present invention, the enginecylinders being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. lis a detail view of one of the disks and the clutching means.

In the practice of my invention, the pressure of the motive agent on thepiston is converted directly from reciprocatory into rotary movementwithout the use of the crank and other necessary appliances incident tothe crank, thus entirely eliminating the use of a fly wheel to overcomethe dead center common in engines of this type. The energy of the motiveagent is transmitted directly to a disk on the power shaft and isimparted to such disk by a pulling action instead of a push and pull aswhen the crank is used. This makes it possible to utilize a relativelylong cylinder of comparatively small bore, and a light cable, chain orthe like, to convert reciprocatory motion of the engine piston into arotary motion of the driving shaft, and as the cables are relativelylighter in weight than pitmen, piston rods and cranks and othernecessaryappliances incident thereto, of a corresponding sweep orradius, there is therefore relatively less energy wasted in changing thedirection of travel of the piston in its reciprocatory movement, than isexpended in the use of crank shaft engines, particularly when arelatively long cylinder is employed in such an engine. 7 v

In carrying my invention into practice, any suitable or preferred formof motive agent or fluid may be employed to impart movement to thepiston, such, for instance, as steam, compressed air, water, and thelike. Therefore, it is to be understood that invention is not limited tothe utilization of any particular form of motive fluid.

Referring now to the accompanying,

drawings in detail, 1 designates the engine cylinder which, as shown, ispreferably elongated and of relatively small bore, and mounted forreciprocation within the cyl inder 1 is a piston v2 through which ispassed a piston rod 3 extending outwardly from both sides of the pistonand beyond the cylinder, the ends of the cylinder being closed by meansof stuffing boxes 4:, 4 through which the extremities of the piston rodare passed. Leading into each end of the cylinder 1 is a fluidconducting pipe 5 terminating in a common main 6, while to each end ofthe cylinder at a point diametrically opposite the respective inletconduit, is an exhaust conduit 7. Intersecting the inlet and exhaustconduits and suitably fastened thereto are valve casings 8 each housinga valve provided with a manipulating lever 9, a connecting rod 10connecting the inlet valve lever at each end of the cylinder with theexhaust valve lever at the respective end. The inlet and exhaust valvesat each end of the cylinder open and close alternately, that is to say,when the inlet valve at one end of the cylinder is open, the exhaustvalve is closed and the inlet valve at the other end of the cylinderclosed while the exhaust valve is open, so that the fluid acting uponone side of the piston mayforce such piston toward the remote end of thecylinder and drive the spent motive agent out of such end 7 of thecylinder by way of the open conduit.

fss

One set of the valve levers, for instance,

'the inlet valve levers are apertured and through the apertures ispassed a rod, wire or the like 11 provided upon opposite sides of eachlever with knobs 12, 12 spaced appropriate distances apart upon the wireand designed to abut the respective valve levers to open and close thesame, the knobs being positioned or arranged upon the wire or rod toopen one valve and close the other and vice versa, movement beingimparted to the exhaust valves simultaneously with the inlet valves toeffect the proper operation of the exhaust valves in accordance with thepositions of the inlet valves, as will be readily understood. Each endof the wire or rod 11 is fastened in any suitable manner to oneextremity of an arm 13 carried by each end of the piston rod 3 so thatin the movement of the piston, the valves will be manipulated to effectthe admission and exhaust of the motive fluid to and from the cylindersrespectively, according to the position of the piston therein.

Journaled in suitable bearings adjacent each end of the cylinder 1 is asheave wheel 14 having its center disposed an appropriate distance belowthe line of draft of the engine piston so that the periphery of theWheel will be located in alinement with the center of the piston, andconsequently the piston rod 3 whereby the power transmitted or takenfrom the engine piston will be in a straight line. Located to one sideof the engine cylinder 1 and approximately centrally of the sheavewheels 14, 1th is a power shaft 15 upon which are mounted a pair ofperipherally grooved disks 16, 17. These disks upon the power shaft areadapted to be clutched to the shaft and unclutched therefrom alternatelyand when operatively connected to the shaft to impart movement to thesame so that such shaft will rotate continuously and in one direction inthe reciprocatory movement of the piston within the cylinder. Each disk,16, 17 is in the present instance equipped. with a ball or roller clutchin the form of balls or rollers 18 located in pockets or recesses 19formed in the hub of the respective disk and arranged about thecircumference of the power shaft and designed to place the respectivedisk in engagement with the power shaft when such disk is rotated in onedirection and unclutch the disk from the shaft when the same is rotatedin the opposite direction, so that the respective disk may idle upon theshaft when the piston is traveling in one direction in its path ofmovement, the disks operating as above, alternately, as previously setforth so that when the piston moves in one direction in its path ofmovement, one of the disks will be placed in driving engagement with theshaft, and when such piston changes its course of travel, the first diskwill be unclutched from the shaft and the other disk placed in drivingengagement therewith to continuously rotate the shaft in one direction.

As these ball clutches are well known and as the applicants invention isnot limited to any particular type of clutch or means for placing thedisk into and out of driving engagement with the shaft, it is thoughtthat a detail description of the clutches is unnecessary.

Connected in any suitable manner to each end of the piston rod 3 is across bar 20 and to the free extremities of each cross bar is connectedthe adjacent extremities of flexible elements, such as ropes or cables21 and 22. The cable 21 istrained over the guide sheaves 14 and iswrapped or reeved about the disk 16, going onto and coming off of suchdisk at a point tangentially thereof. The rope or cable 22 is alsotrained over the guide sheaves 14, the latter being preferably formedwith a double groove to accommodate the cables, and is wrapped or reevedabout the disk 17 at a point tangentially thereto and opposite from therope 21. Thus, the piston in its path of movement in one directionexerts a pull on one of the cables with the efiect to clutch therespective disk to the shaft and rotate the shaft, the other disk, owingto the reverse connections of the other cable, revolving in the reversedirection and idling upon the shaft. When the piston changes its courseof travel, the other cable acts upon the respective disk to clutch thesame to the shaft and imparts movement to the shaft in the samedirection as the previous disk, while the first disk idles upon theshaft in the reverse direction.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the construction of my engine will be readily apparent tothose skilled in the art, and while I have herein shown and describedone particular embodiment of my invention by way of illustration, it isto be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details ofconstruction herein described and delineated, as modification andvariation may be made within the scope of the claim and Withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of theclaim.

I claim:

In combination with an elongated rod, a cross-piece secured at each endof the rod, means for reciprocating said rod, two sheaves mountedopposite each end of said rod toward which said rod is arranged to move,two sheaves mounted intermediate said first-named sheaves laterally ofsaid rod, two cables, one of said cables secured to one end of onecrose-piece, passing around one of said first-named sheaves,tangentially over one of said last-named sheaves, around one of saidfirst-named sheaves at the opposite end of said rod and being attachedto one end of the other cross-piece, the second cable being attached tothe opposite end of the first cross-piece, passing around the other ofsaid first-named sheaves, adjacent thereto engaging tangentially theother of said intermediate sheaves at a point diametrically oppositewith respect to the point of tangential engagement made by said othercable over said first intermediate sheave, said second cable passingaround the remaining sheave and being attached to the opposite end ofsaid other cross-piece, a

power shaft upon which said intermediate 15 In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature 20 in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. JUDD.

Witnesses:

H. M. MILLER, ROY F. BANCROFT.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

